tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350658292024-02-21T01:33:07.213-08:00ashpags knits!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-68942366770539004352012-06-08T20:44:00.001-07:002012-06-08T20:45:23.220-07:00Start 'Em Young?In one of her many books and/or blog posts, the <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/" target="_blank">Yarn Harlot</a> wrote, years ago, about the belief that knitted items somehow "soak up" the vibes that surround them while being knit. This is sort of the idea behind prayer/comfort shawls and really, all items we make for dear friends and family. Steph said something about how this worried her, though, because there was often a lot of frustration and cursing surrounding her knitting, and she didn't want that to be transferred to the recipient, haha.<br />
<br />
Along those lines, I felt the need to notify my friend J that her soon-to-be-born daughter might have an unexplainable obsession with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Northman" target="_blank">Viking vampires</a>. Not only are the repeats of her blanket-in-progress marked with True Blood stitch markers--one seen <a href="http://ashpags.blogspot.com/2012/06/wordless-wip-wednesday-automobile.html" target="_blank">on Wednesday</a> and also here<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7353321788/" title="photo.JPG by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="photo.JPG" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7232/7353321788_ef0bde4081.jpg" width="374" /></a><br />
--but also I've been working on it while watching my brand new Season 4 DVDs. I don't have HBO, so I'm perpetually a year behind, waiting on the DVDs, but it does have the benefit of letting me watch everything at once, usually over the course of a week. So, if it's true that knits can soak up their surroundings, this little girl is destined to be a True Blood fan! (But only when she's old enough!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-82890475624767675812012-06-06T17:45:00.001-07:002012-06-08T20:25:17.262-07:00Wordless WIP Wednesday: Automobile Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0GbB43TGRu6m0VbRmyMUO2RAaQbrTQ9nePXUrnwO1rz7M3ilvEmBU1_8f-CZopE79Zc5WHun01lQAekSut20mCaBIYI4QRm2bNltZDB_O_BgLeenuH0l3ysQGxIpgKk9dI2b/s640/blogger-image-1944370782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0GbB43TGRu6m0VbRmyMUO2RAaQbrTQ9nePXUrnwO1rz7M3ilvEmBU1_8f-CZopE79Zc5WHun01lQAekSut20mCaBIYI4QRm2bNltZDB_O_BgLeenuH0l3ysQGxIpgKk9dI2b/s640/blogger-image-1944370782.jpg" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-71102910793981018722012-06-04T19:15:00.000-07:002012-06-04T19:15:28.674-07:00Signature Needles...Again!I was going to take some updated WIP pictures when I got home from work, but I went to Zumba instead. So I'll share an update on how I feel about <a href="http://ashpags.blogspot.com/2012/05/shiny-new-needles.html" target="_blank">the Signature circulars my aunt got me for graduation</a>. Short version? Still love 'em! Longer version? They're great needles. You can tell they're well made, and I appreciate that. The tips aren't quite as revolutionary anymore as they were when they were first introduced (other companies have improved theirs to match), but they're just right, in my opinion. The way the cable swivels at the join to the needle tips is kind of <i>the best ever</i>. One tiny little annoyance? I'm used to knitting with the Knit Picks interchangeables, which have the small key hole in the tips. You can use that hole to string a <a href="http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2008/12/05/my-lace-scarf-and-a-free-project.aspx" target="_blank">lifeline</a> while knitting by threading your lifeline yarn through the hole and then knitting as usual. It gets pulled along through all your stitches, easy-peasy. Since the Signatures are fixed, they don't have that key hole, so you have to string your lifelines by hand:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7154682729/" title="Lila Shawl--Lifeline by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Lila Shawl--Lifeline" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7154682729_c9e22a5ba3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Tiny, tiny, beyond minuscule annoyance, but something I've noted.<br />
<br />
I'm through the three repeats of Chart A on that shawl (the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lila-shawl" target="_blank">Lila</a> pattern) and still have a good bit to go. I have to finish it in about two weeks...wish me luck!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-11762704834075900622012-06-01T20:14:00.000-07:002012-06-01T20:15:14.707-07:00Fair Isle/Stranded KnittingI've never been much for colorwork beyond basic intarsia and some duplicate stitch, I think just because of my personal style. So I've never done proper <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Isle_knitting">Fair Isle</a> or <a href="http://explaiknit.typepad.com/let_me_explaiknit/2006/08/stranded.html">stranded knitting</a>. Well, now I have a very good reason to learn! I received my swap package yesterday for the Ravelry Odd Ducks Harry Potter Spells & Potions swap (Odd Ducks is the name of the Rav group), and let me tell you, it is amazing! Here's an overview of everything:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7318086824/" title="HP Spells & Potions Mosaic by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="HP Spells & Potions Mosaic" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7318086824_da0c77a5b3.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
Each individual gift had a character card with a quote that tied to the present--how perfect!<br />
<br />
One of the more impressive gifts, based on amount of work as well as sheer awesomeness, is this scarf:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7310343574/" title="Hermione's Scarf by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Hermione's Scarf" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7310343574_577681b03e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
It's a perfect replica of the one Hermione wears in the later films, and I love it so much! What's extra cool is that my spoiler sent along the ball bands from the yarn that she used to knit it, which means that I can match the colors exactly and make <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hermiones-mittens">the matching mittens</a>--awesome!
But since I want them to look as great as the scarf, I feel like I ought to practice stranded knitting first on some easier projects. Any suggestions?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-16748582273778773412012-05-30T19:16:00.000-07:002012-05-30T19:16:35.383-07:00Wordless WIP Wednesday: Mobile Edition!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7305640574/" title="Socks on a Plane! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Socks on a Plane!" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7305640574_67124e13ae.jpg" width="374" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7305641296/" title="Socks on a Plane! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Socks on a Plane!" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7305641296_fd582ae808.jpg" width="374" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-67387400148035697612012-05-25T10:03:00.002-07:002012-05-25T10:04:06.852-07:00Dear Future Sister (In Law)This is how much I love you:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7268499996/" title="Crocheting by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Crocheting" height="281" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7268499996_c46c45bcd3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Oh that's right, I am crocheting for you, for your graduation present. Not my favorite, but the best way to make what you want--so it's worth it!<br />
<br />
It's strange...I've known how to crochet for probably six or seven years now, but I always choose knitting when possible. Crochet seems rougher on my wrists, and slower. What's your preference, and why?<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-43427892815016622842012-05-23T20:02:00.000-07:002012-05-23T20:02:14.470-07:00Wordless WIP Wednesday<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7259551862/" title="Lila Shawl by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Lila Shawl" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7259551862_0773119484.jpg" width="333" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-12309302664599714082012-05-21T11:49:00.001-07:002012-05-21T11:49:12.920-07:00Shiny New Needles!Look what my awesome aunt got me for graduation:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7243457872/" title="Signature Needles by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Signature Needles" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7081/7243457872_89f3642100.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Two Signature circulars, in US 4 and US 7, my two most-used sizes!<br />
<br />
They're even custom engraved:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7243458932/" title="Signature Needles by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Signature Needles" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8145/7243458932_f98c0d8346.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
How cool is that?!?<br />
<br />
She emailed me a few weeks ago with a link to the <a href="http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/" target="_blank">Signature website</a> wondering if I would want a pair or two...um, YES PLEASE. There are so many options, so I sent her back a range of what I'd want/use for each, and she picked two combinations that are perfect!<br />
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I'm already transferring one of my WIPs over to the 7s:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7243460386/" title="Signature Needles by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Signature Needles" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7243460386_92b4754769.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
You can kind of see the difference between the (red) Signatures and the (silver) KP Options, although it's more obvious in person. Now don't get me wrong, the Options are great needles, but the Stiletto tips on the Signatures are longer, narrower, and pointier without being sharp on the end, so they won't hurt your fingers. Love 'em!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-40407275800037910952012-05-19T06:14:00.001-07:002012-05-21T11:49:33.260-07:00FO: Soon-To-Be-Newlyweds DishclothsMy brother is getting married this June. Last weekend, I went to a bridal shower for his fiancee, my FSIL, who's adorable. And also about to finish up school at the Naval Academy and be commissioned into the US Marine Corps. Which means that they won't be able to live together after they get married for awhile. So I made them matching sets of dishcloths:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7225154160/" title="Dishcloths for S&A by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Dishcloths for S&A" height="281" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7225154160_bc86bd8e5a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Each set has the six same cloths. Brother took brown, and future-sister took green.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7225155094/" title="Dishcloths for S&A by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Dishcloths for S&A" height="281" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7225155094_826dd24e8f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
That way, when they use them, they can think of the other person and how they have the matching piece.<br />
<br />
I listed each of the stitch patterns on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/soon-to-be-newlyweds-dishcloths" target="_blank">the Rav project page</a>, and you can see them all here:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7225155600/" title="Dishcloths for S&A by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Dishcloths for S&A" height="281" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/7225155600_e2da6237b9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Mostly my standards, all good and scrubby.<br />
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Lastly, all packaged up, unwrapped so they'd make it through airport security:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7225156634/" title="Dishcloths for S&A by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Dishcloths for S&A" height="281" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7225156634_50685211d2.jpg" width="500" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-88827611341298945482012-05-16T21:51:00.000-07:002012-05-16T21:51:37.089-07:00Wordless WIP Wednesday<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7213602028/" title="LSU Scarf--Nearly Complete! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="LSU Scarf--Nearly Complete!" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7213602028_c7a1c18b0e.jpg" width="374" /></a><br />
(On top of a big FO!)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-83365288433094373472012-05-14T17:01:00.000-07:002012-05-14T17:01:50.725-07:00Whoa!I cast on for my Kaylee's Parasol Socks in the airport early Saturday morning. Four plane flights later (two out and two back), I've got this:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7199710522/" title="Kaylee's Parasol Socks by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Kaylee's Parasol Socks" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7199710522_0f34846197.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
I...don't think I've ever knit that fast. In total it's probably only six or seven hours of knitting, and a good bit of that time I was reading while I knit, so not going as fast as possible. Where did all of that come from?!<br />
<br />
I didn't know how the colorway would knit up, as I'm the first to actually make something with it, so I was incredibly charmed to see that the colors are spiraling around the sock:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7199709964/" title="Kaylee's Parasol Socks by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Kaylee's Parasol Socks" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5316/7199709964_e1ff4139be.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
Why so charmed? Because that's exactly what they do in the actual parasol:<br />
<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/?action=view&current=Kaylee_Frye_parasol.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/Kaylee_Frye_parasol.jpg" /></a><br />
Brilliant!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-39544145655266998812012-05-11T22:22:00.000-07:002012-05-14T17:02:19.388-07:00Endings & BeginningsTwo years ago I started a pair of Monkey socks in my FFtC Jasper yarn. See, it was really clever, because at the time, Jackson Rathbone, the actor who plays Jasper in the Twilight films, was in a band called 100 Monkeys. Well I was only knitting 2, so I called the project <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/monkey" target="_blank">100 (-98) Monkeys</a> and was quite chuffed. But then they pooled, terribly:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7179139420/" title="DSC_8105 by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_8105" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5117/7179139420_6230012607.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7179139798/" title="DSC_8104 by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_8104" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7179139798_47d8c27a2f.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Yeah, that's the same sock. You almost can't even tell, looking at the different sides. I knew I'd never be happy with them, and that I ought to frog them, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.<br />
<br />
Until today, when I wound the yarn for another Perfectly Cleverly Named Project, Kaylee's Parasol Socks, and needed the needles:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7179139074/" title="Kaylee's Parasol Socks by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Kaylee's Parasol Socks" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7179139074_78b27f68b9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Get it? The yarn is Kaylee's Parasol, from <a href="http://www.costumersguide.com/maggie_costumes/kaylee_makingof.html" target="_blank">Firefly</a>, in Schmutzerella's Comfy (MCN) base, and the pattern is called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/parasol-socks" target="_blank">Parasol Socks</a>, with wee lace umbrellas on the leg. I'll cast on tomorrow (well, later today)--so excited!<br />
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Here's a better picture of the yarn, from back when I got it and wasn't in a hurry to get pictures before the sun set:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5812069818/" title="Kaylee's Parasol by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Kaylee's Parasol" height="333" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2328/5812069818_a349e9b93a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
(I still haven't technically frogged the Monkeys, because tonight has been super busy--which is why this is technically posting on Saturday morning, not Friday night--and so I decided it wasn't a good use of my time. I'll get to them...eventually...)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-20976775911590014342012-05-09T19:12:00.000-07:002012-05-09T19:14:34.173-07:00Wordless WIP Wednesday<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7168329656/" title="Project Bag In Progress by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Project Bag In Progress" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7168329656_c9af60644d.jpg" width="374" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-86085549236774874452012-05-07T14:21:00.000-07:002012-05-14T17:02:19.393-07:00Fan-tastic DishclothsI talked about dishcloths a bit <a href="http://ashpags.blogspot.com/2012/05/multipurpose-knitting.html" target="_blank">on Friday</a>, and thought that today I'd show off one of my favorite things you can do with them: knit fandom-related motifs and know that they will still get used! If I send someone a fannish accessory, item of clothing, or piece of jewelry, there's no way to know if they will actually wear it. For example, even though I love Doctor Who, I wouldn't wear 90% of the Who shirts that pop up on the daily tee websites. They are cute, and I chuckle, but they're not my style. But will I use a Who dishcloth? Absolutely! They are great for including in swap packages, too, as a fun little extra handmade. Here are some that I made last year for two different packages as part of the Odd Ducks Doctor Who swap on Ravelry.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5816728687/" title="Don't Blink Washcloth by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Don't Blink Washcloth" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5229/5816728687_0a19da5560.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Don't Blink<br />
<br />
because the<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5817294024/" title="Weeping Angel Washcloth by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Weeping Angel Washcloth" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5063/5817294024_5db4624fda.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Weeping Angels<br />
<br />
have the<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5817293572/" title="TARDIS Washcloth by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="TARDIS Washcloth" height="333" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3188/5817293572_dce3676515.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Phone Box!<br />
<br />
Those all went into one box, because the phrases went together nicely (a reference to the episode Blink), and then another box got just a Weeping Angel because the recipient is a big fan:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5745308114/" title="Don't Blink! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Don't Blink!" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5024/5745308114_e512806c95.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Aren't they fun?<br />
<br />
One of my favorite fannish dishcloth designers is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/holynarf-lindsay">holynarf</a> on Ravelry. Her designs are mostly Doctor Who, but there are some Firefly and general geeky designs as well, and they are all free patterns, which is excellent!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-76404850988721169402012-05-04T10:30:00.000-07:002012-05-04T10:30:09.236-07:00Multipurpose KnittingI knit <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags?set=home">a lot of dishcloths</a>. That links to a set of 25+ different dishcloth projects, many of them with multiple cloths. And those are just the ones I bothered to add to my Rav projects! Many of them I give away (they are great useful gifts, for babies and grown-ups alike), and the rest I keep around to, y'know, wash my dishes. They're cheap and easy to make (though you can experiment with harder patterns if you want), gentle on china and cookware, and sanitary, because I grab a new one every time I do dishes and toss 'em in the laundry after.<br />
<br />
This morning, when I was packing my lunch, I was trying to figure out how to transport a hard-boiled egg to school without cracking the shell or squishing it. I had a plastic container that was just a little too big, and I didn't want the egg bouncing around. I needed a good cushion, and I was pondering possible solutions while standing right in front of the dishcloth drawer...et voilà!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6996307318/" title="photo.JPG by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="photo.JPG" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/6996307318_bed552fe6d.jpg" width="374" /></a><br />
Clean dishcloth to the rescue! My egg made it safe and sound and was very much enjoyed with lunch.<br />
<br />
If you're wondering, the pattern is a small version of the Mason-Dixon Knitting <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-genius-burp-cloth">Baby Genius Burp Cloth</a>, and it's great for scrubbing dishes because of the raised lines on the front:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6996308418/" title="photo.JPG by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="photo.JPG" height="374" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6996308418_95e8ef659c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
It's my go-to dishcloth pattern!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-27370902159454110372012-05-02T19:57:00.002-07:002012-05-02T19:57:43.649-07:00Wordless WIP Wednesday<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7137610053/" title="Wordless WIP Wednesday by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Wordless WIP Wednesday" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7137610053_4eb4b59635.jpg" width="500" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-88537539469596353562012-04-30T10:02:00.001-07:002012-04-30T10:03:30.101-07:00Baby Blankets*insert generic "I haven't blogged in forever" paragraph, with the current excuse being "I wrote and defended a <a href="http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04252012-135009/">250 page astrophysics Ph.D. thesis</a>"*<br />
<br />
As is traditional for the late-20s/early-30s age group, it seems like everyone I know is having a baby these days. It brings me great joy because I can't have one of my own yet, so I just knit for (and <a href="http://instagr.am/p/Jite2XjbsB/">occasionally borrow</a>) the ones that belong to my friends. Here are two blankets I've finished recently that I was very pleased with:<br />
<br />
<b>Hazel's Blanket</b><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6922294934/" title="Hazel's Blanket by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Hazel's Blanket" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/6922294934_0e7fa0436d.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Full details on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/zig-zag-baby-blanket">Rav project page</a>.<br />
<br />
I bought the yarn (KnitPicks Swish, my favorite baby yarn!) a long time ago because I knew the colorway would match Hazel's bedding nicely, but then I went through about 14,000 different patterns searching for the perfect one. I almost started a few different ones, and I almost designed one from (mostly) scratch, but then this <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zig-zag-baby-blanket-2">Zig Zag Baby Blanket</a> showed up in <a href="http://threadpanda.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/friday-finds-february-24/">one of Threadpanda's Friday Finds posts</a> and I instantly fell in love with it! I knit the pattern as written, and it turned out a bit narrower/longer than I would have liked, but that mostly blocked out. If I knit it again, I'll probably add another repeat of the stitch pattern to make it wider. I got to deliver this blanket in person, which was pretty great.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/7068374419/" title="Hazel's Blanket by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Hazel's Blanket" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5468/7068374419_8137a2a881.jpg" width="374" /></a><br />
Isn't she wee and precious?<br />
<br />
<b>Ava's Blanket</b><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6922359718/" title="Ava's Blanket by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Ava's Blanket" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/6922359718_317eb4cd99.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
Full details on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/round-or-pinwheel-baby-blanket-4">Rav project page</a>.<br />
<br />
My fourth pinwheel blanket, and almost certainly not my last. They are so easy but they look so nice when finished, they're good for both boys and girls, and you can play with colors however you want. Love love love this pattern!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6922360248/" title="Ava's Blanket by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Ava's Blanket" height="333" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/6922360248_2d16b251cd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Ava hasn't arrived yet, but will soon, and hopefully then her mom and dad will send me some modeled shots!<br />
<br />
I have two more blankets in the planning stages. The yarn has been acquired for one, and excavated from the stash for the other, so hopefully I'll be able to pick patterns and get going on those soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-40224576088296400302011-09-04T17:41:00.000-07:002011-09-04T17:42:01.484-07:00On SweatersOne of my most recent, non-secret, non-swap* finished objects was
simultaneously a test knit for <a href="http://purdypeas.wordpress.com/">a Rav friend</a> and a first birthday present
for <a href="http://stillintheworks.wordpress.com/">a local friend</a> (well, technically the daughter of two local
friends, but that's semantics). The pattern is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daisy-may-cardigan">Daisy May Cardigan</a> and it's adorable. It's even more adorable when modeled by its recipient at her very first birthday party:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5968098645/" title="Coco's Sweater by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Coco's Sweater" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6028/5968098645_f4256a3d1b.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
I made it a little bit big so that Coco could wear it in a few months when it actually starts to cool down around here!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5968100241/" title="Coco's Sweater by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Coco's Sweater" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5968100241_8a310e3254.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
I also finished it at the very last minute and was embarrassingly late to the party, but luckily Coco won't remember that part. ;) That's why it's not blocked--there wasn't time!<br />
<br />
I think my favorite part is the buttons. I've yet to find a good local button supplier, but shortly before this party I was at a meeting in Padua, Italy. The meeting ended Friday, but I didn't leave town until Saturday afternoon. On Saturday morning there was a market in the park across from my hotel, so I wandered around and, lo and behold, found a stall selling fabric, yarn (of course I got some, the Cable 4 yarn you can see in <a href="http://ashpags.blogspot.com/2011/08/summer-travel.html">this post</a>), and buttons, including these which I knew would be perfect:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5968098023/" title="Coco's Sweater by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Coco's Sweater" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/5968098023_1c28f52da9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
A successful endeavor, all around! Details on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/daisy-may-cardigan">Rav project page here</a>.<br />
<br />
And now I've decided I should graduate from baby sweaters to the big kid version. I started a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/march-basic">March Basic for myself</a> years ago but got terribly bored with the miles and miles of stockinette so it has sat untouched for a long time. I know I could finish it, but I don't particularly want to, and I really don't want to do all the seaming. But a few weeks ago I tried on a fellow knitter's recently completed <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vitamin-d">Vitamin D</a> and, according to her, it was very flattering on me. I'm headed to my first fiber festival in about a month and a half, and I'll be very pleased if I can attend wearing a sweater I made myself, so I'm going to give it a shot. Again, miles of (mostly) stockinette, but at least it's all knit in once piece! I'm going to order the yarn this week...I'll keep you updated! <br />
<br />
*Swaps have consumed my recent crafting time, in a (mostly) good way. I should blog about those, shouldn't I? Hmm...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-87674570556147611302011-08-14T17:45:00.000-07:002011-08-14T17:47:03.621-07:00Summer TravelOhai blog! I've missed you! This summer has been crazy, in the best possible way. Summer is the traditional time for travel in academia, and I definitely kept with tradition. Two observing runs, one conference, and some personal travel as well. What does a knitter do when traveling? Find the LYSs, of course!<br />
<br />
First trip was an observing run to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerro_Tololo_Inter-American_Observatory">Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile</a>:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5823588444/" title="CTIO May 2011 by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="CTIO May 2011" height="333" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/5823588444_652ac80fb1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
On my way out of the country, I had an eight hour layover in Santiago. One bus and one metro ride later, I arrived at <a href="http://www.pueblitolosdominicos.com/">Pueblito los Dominicos</a>, a sort of artist co-op space where I snagged some lovely yarns:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5745360266/" title="Chilean Yarn! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Chilean Yarn!" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/5745360266_925a320376.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5744815293/" title="Chilean Yarn! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Chilean Yarn!" height="333" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/5744815293_af6f77a179.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
I also picked up some more commercial Chilean yarn at a grocery store(!) in La Serena:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5744814247/" title="Chilean Yarn! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Chilean Yarn!" height="333" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/5744814247_bf732b5b22.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
Next up, an observing run at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitt_Peak_National_Observatory">Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona</a>:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6043957746/" title="Kitt Peak by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Kitt Peak" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6089/6043957746_13ab6f9b2e.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
<br />
One of my sweet Ravelry friends, who is also an indie dyer, lives nearby and drove over to meet me, and brought along with her my very first purchase of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/gherkinsbucket">Gherkin's Bucket</a> yarn:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5880145952/" title="My First Gherkin's Bucket Yarn! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="My First Gherkin's Bucket Yarn!" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5266/5880145952_4a5b9fdd68.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
It's scrumptious!<br />
<br />
After that, a trip to bella Italia for a meeting in Padua. I had to fly into Venice, so I snuck in a yarn store trip while I was there. The store, <a href="http://www.yarnshopinvenice.com/">Lellabella</a>, was fantastic. Small but packed with great Italian yarns!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6043909472/" title="Venice Yarn! by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Venice Yarn!" height="333" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6147/6043909472_00e4a76ce0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
Lastly, a family gathering in Pennsylvania to celebrate my granddad's life. I drove home with my mama and we stopped in Knoxville, TN, to visit a good friend and (of course!) hit up an <a href="http://www.theyarnhaven.com/">LYS</a>, where I got some Miss Babs, my first, which is dyed in (semi-)nearby Mountain City, TN:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/6038784886/" title="Gemini II by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Gemini II" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6193/6038784886_f18244aea2.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
The colorway is Gemini II, and I like to think that it's named after the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_2">NASA mission</a>.<br />
<br />
All in all an excellent, if exhausting, summer. Now I'm back home for awhile, settling back in, sleeping in my own bed, and not buying any more yarn because I'm set for awhile (ahahahahaha!). (In all fairness, I didn't keep all of the yarn--a lot of it was thank you yarn for rides to and from the airport, but still...)<br />
<br />
How was your summer?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-7993845056147329272011-04-03T21:18:00.000-07:002011-04-03T21:18:28.194-07:00Your Knitting and Crochet Time - 2KCBWDAY7<i><a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-2011/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/5564091325_6482a01988_o.gif" /></a> </i><br />
<br />
<i>Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys? </i><br />
<br />
I have a few typical crafting times. First, on the bus to and from school. "On the bus route" was one of my top requirements for choosing an apartment, and it's a great time to knit. Not only does it turn my commute into a productive time (it's usually too bumpy to read or do work) but it also tends to scare away other commuters, so I often get a seat to myself. Yes!<br />
<br />
The second crafting time has a few facets, and it is "sitting in front of a screen" time. <i>Facet #1</i>: Watching TV or a movie at home by myself. I have a few must-watch shows (Big Bang Theory, Castle, Doctor Who) and often catch others, either new or in reruns, and this is a great time to knit. Certainly good for brainless knits, and also good for slightly more involved projects, e.g. anything for which I need to look at the pattern/chart. Very productive knitting time! <i>Facet #2</i>: At the movies! Yep, I'm a movie theatre knitter. Projects must be very carefully chosen for this. Requirements include thick yarn (worsted is ideal), big needles, and a completely brainless pattern. Light-colored yarn is also a plus. For the sake of the other movie-goers, I try to use wooden or bamboo needles because they make less noise. <i>Facet #3</i>: Watching TV or movies with friends. We often get together to watch movies or sporting events, and since most of my friends are also knitters, we definitely break out the WIPs!<br />
<br />
Speaking of sporting events, I knit at those, too.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5587345219/" title="n8313344_43407179_9613 by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="n8313344_43407179_9613" height="332" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5291/5587345219_da2e8387b3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyle_Field">Kyle Field</a>, Texas A&M)<br />
I have two special scarves specifically for sporting events, one for <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/aggie-maroon-scarf">Texas A&M</a> and one for <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/chevron-scarf">LSU</a> that are made of custom-dyed yarn in the school colors. They are good luck!<br />
<br />
Where's your favorite place to knit?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-6130025709311353142011-04-02T19:44:00.000-07:002011-04-02T19:44:21.929-07:00Something to Aspire To - 2KCBWDAY6<a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-2011/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/5564091325_6482a01988_o.gif" /></a><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? </i><br />
<br />
Well, there's nothing that I don't feel I'm ready to tackle, but there are a few things that I don't particularly want to tackle now, although I'd like to try 'em in the future. Does that sentence make any sense at all? For example, Fair Isle/Stranded Knitting. If someone said "I'll give you $200 if you knit me a Fair Isle headband," I'd be all over it. I know that physically I <i>can</i> do it. But is it something I particularly want to do? Eh, I could go either way. I actually do have a FI headband picked out that I'd like to make (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nordic-headband">this one</a>), and I think I even know which yarn I want to use (yay stash diving!), but do I really want to extend that much brainpower on knitting? Not right now.<br />
<br />
For posterity, a list of skills I'd like to learn/things I'd like to accomplish, knitting-wise, at some point in the future:<br />
*Fair Isle/Stranded Knitting<br />
*Large scale Intarsia (I've only done small scale before)<br />
*Finish a sweater for myself!<br />
*Complicated lace shawl made out of laceweight yarn (e.g. the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/swallowtail-shawl">Swallowtail</a>)<br />
<br />
Seeing as how I'm entering into my dissertation writing year (that is freaking scary just to write, FYI), I don't see myself picking up a lot of new knitting skills any time soon, but who knows!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-34458490476360348672011-04-01T20:24:00.000-07:002012-05-14T17:02:19.382-07:00And now for something completely different! - 2KCBWDAY5<a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-2011/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/5564091325_6482a01988_o.gif" /></a><br />
<br />
<i>This is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create. There are no rules of a topic to blog about (though some suggestions are given below) but this post should look at a different way to present content on your blog.</i><br />
<br />
A day in the life of a WIP, specifically, an <a href="http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Adipose">Adipose</a>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5580711707/" title="Adipose by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Adipose" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5580711707_b95b7415bd.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
"First it took her days to attach my hands and feet, and then she just stuck me in this bowl to sit here. It's been weeks now! Will she ever sew on my eyes and mouth? Doubtful! She'll probably wait until the night before she has to mail her swap package to *finally* finish me up. Geez!"<i><br />
</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5578982999/" title="Adipose by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Adipose" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5016/5578982999_e384912e0b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
"If she doesn't finish me soon, I'm going to jump out of this tree and splat all over the pavement. That'll show her!"<br />
<br />
Don't worry, I rescued him (her? it?) before he jumped. But he still doesn't have eyes or a mouth. Hmm...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-87228280922438881882011-03-31T20:40:00.000-07:002011-03-31T20:40:23.880-07:00Where are they now? - 2KCBWDAY4<a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-2011/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/5564091325_6482a01988_o.gif" /></a> <br />
<br />
<i>Whatever happened to your __________? Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.</i><br />
<br />
Ooh, this is challenging. I could talk about some of the duds I've made, but I don't have pictures of most of those. For example, I made a <a href="http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/brea/brea.html">Brea Bag</a> for a good friend, B, and it turned out awful. I was going on a trip to visit B (and her sister A) and attend a conference, and I made a clutch for A, but didn't finish B's bag, so I brought it with me and finished it while I was there. Point of that ridiculous sentence is that I couldn't <i>not</i> give it to B when it was finished, because she'd seen it in progress, and her sister got a handknit as well. If it had been a one-off present for someone else that they hadn't seen beforehand, I would have frogged it and made something completely different. It's such a cute pattern, but my yarn choice wasn't great and I couldn't find a perfect handle, so I knit one, which was a bad idea. I have no idea where that bag is now, but hopefully it's not being seen regularly.<br />
<br />
Or I could talk about shawls. I love shawls. They're beautiful, and a wonderful chance to use some of my fancy sock yarn. I've made some that turned out wonderful:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/4764017543/" title="Moss & Ferns Shawl by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Moss & Ferns Shawl" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4764017543_b504d0fecd.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/moss-and-ferns">The Good Doctor</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/5527294449/" title="Rosalie Multnomah by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Rosalie Multnomah" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5527294449_9103537fb6.jpg" width="333" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/multnomah">Rosalie Multnomah</a><br />
<br />
Problem is, I almost never wear them. Oops. It's really only cold enough for wraps for a few months per year, and even then I feel awkward in them. I usually wear 'em bandanna style, with the point in the front and the ends wrapped around back and then tucked under the point. I can't do the "over the shoulders" look at all, not without feeling like a grandmother. But, since they are lovely, I have them on display in the apartment year-round, along with all my scarves.<br />
<br />
What gets worn most often? The basics. My charcoal gray alpaca <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/odessa">Odessa</a>, black alpaca <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/multi-directional-scarf-2">Multi-Directional Scarf</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/rosalie-hale-scarf">off-white wool scarf</a>, and most of my blue socks. Both of my Clapotis scarves (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/clapotis">purple</a> and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/clapotis-2">navy</a>) get worn all the time. They are my default vacation scarves, because they can double as wraps if I'm cold and don't care about looking like a grandmother. My <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ashpags/sleekit-mitts">Sleekit Mitts</a> live in my backpack and get worn in my cold office. As much as I love to buy and knit with bright colors, it's the sedate ones that get worn most often. Interesting!<br />
<br />
One thing I love very much is when folks who have received non-dud handknits from me send photos of the items in use. This is especially great for baby knits, because pictures that include handknits <i>and</i> wee humans are the best! <br />
<br />
I could go on more, but I am almost finished with my big swap project, and I'd love to finish it up this evening! It will, I hope, be worn often by its recipient.<br />
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What handknit do you use most often?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-78860248354315561352011-03-30T18:14:00.000-07:002011-03-30T18:15:41.966-07:00Tidy Mind, Tidy Stitches - 2KCBWDAY3<a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-2011/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/5564091325_6482a01988_o.gif" /></a> <br />
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<i>How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.</i><br />
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For as much of an organization nut as I am, my yarn wrangling is not nearly as organized as it could/should be. Most of my stash is stored in the office closet in bins: wool & wool blends, cotton & cotton blends, nice synthetics, less nice synthetics (I should just give that whole box away 'cause I'm never going to knit it up), and two small bins of fancy sock yarn. The super fancy sock yarn (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/fresh-from-the-cauldron">Fresh From the Cauldron</a>, <a href="http://sunshineyarns.com/">Sunshine</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-asylum">Knitting Asylum</a>, etc.) lives in a basket on display in the living room, so it can be admired as it waits its turn to be knit up. (I feel like this is a trick to get knitters worldwide to tell where their stash is, so that scores of yarn burglars can make a bunch of efficient hits in the upcoming weeks.) I go through my stash about once per year to see if that organization system still makes sense and remind myself of what I have. I'd love to add another level or two to the system (yarn weight, color, washability, etc.), but I can't quite figure out a good way to implement that without buying some new bins or shelving, and I'd rather spend any extra money I have on yarn.<br />
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If I haven't raved about it enough so far this week, another great organizational tool is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>. I am not dedicated enough to have input my entire stash (although I do keep a mostly-up-to-date spreadsheet of my stash for insurance purposes), but I have input most of my hand-dyed yarns and essentially all of my projects. Since projects are linked to their source patterns (if a pattern was used) and component yarns, it is relatively easy to look up details after the fact, especially things like the care instructions for the yarn. I also try to note any modifications that I made or things I would do differently in the project notes section so I have a reference for later. I think that if it weren't for Rav I would have one of those wonderful project journals with a page for each project, a sample of the yarn used, etc., but it's so much more useful to keep everything online. I have whipped out my phone many a time in a yarn store to check on something or other. (And I am very impatiently awaiting the launch of the Rav mobile site.)<br />
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The one "analog" organizing tool I have is a binder filled with most of the labels of yarns I have used. Again they are organized by fiber content, and provide a reference for information like care instructions when the Rav database is incomplete (or, Heaven forbid, down!). The plastic sheets that store the labels are actually designed for baseball cards, but are conveniently the perfect size for yarn labels as well. This is a crummy webcam shot from awhile ago, but you can get the idea:<br />
<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/?action=view&current=webcam.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/webcam.jpg" /></a> <br />
There are a few yarns I have used so often (and which have big labels instead of small tags) that they have their own separate baggies: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride & Cotton Fleece, Bernat Cotton Tots, and Caron Simply Soft. <br />
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So that's my organizational scheme. How do you keep your fiber crafting sorted?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35065829.post-41536575279453360302011-03-29T15:16:00.000-07:002011-03-29T15:16:57.776-07:00Skill +1UP - 2KCBWDAY2First of all, let's get this out of the way:<br />
<a href="http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/?action=view&current=Nintendo_Mushroom_1UP_Green_Shirt.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/Nintendo_Mushroom_1UP_Green_Shirt.jpg" /></a><br />
1UP! Yes!<br />
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Now on to the actual post.<br />
<a href="http://eskimimiknits.com/knitting-and-crochet-blog-week-2011/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/ashpags/5564091325_6482a01988_o.gif" /></a><br />
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<i>Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet?</i><br />
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Answering this question would be very difficult without Ravelry's notebook feature. It's so great to have a record of (almost) all of my projects, and the ability to sort them by name, date, happiness level, etc. It's less great to be confronted with the fact that I haven't actually learned any significant new skills in the last year. Oops. I did learn a new way to do long tail cast-on that ensures you won't run out of yarn (<a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_4976531_advanced-knitting-long-tail-cast.html">video of the technique</a>) which can be adapted into a super easy provisional cast on (<a href="http://www.ehow.com/video_4976530_advanced-knitting-provisional-cast-ons.html">video of that</a>). I used the double-ball long tail for one of my current swap projects, which involved casting on 320 stitches...no way I could have guesstimated the right amount of yarn for that.<br />
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The last significant skill I learned was how to do toe-up socks. Again, thank you Rav for letting me know I learned that in September of 2009, picked those socks back up again in September of 2010, and recently finished the first of the pair. Slow. I haz it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashpags/4980489138/" title="Anastasia Socks by ashpags, on Flickr"><img alt="Anastasia Socks" height="500" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/4980489138_a2924f5456.jpg" width="333" /></a> <br />
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On the first sock I used DPNs to do <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEATmagiccaston.html">Judy's Magic Cast-On</a>. Big mistake! It took me about eight times to get past the first row, because it was so hard to knit into the cast-on row. In December, I did JMCO with Magic Loop on the <a href="http://ashpags.blogspot.com/2011/02/very-kindle-christmas.html">Kindle covers</a> I made for Christmas and it was significantly easier!<br />
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<i>(Pretend there is a picture of the first finished sock here. This morning when I drafted this post (during my new Writing Time, 8:00AM-8:30AM) I had grand plans to get home around 6:30PM and take advantage of DST to do a mini-photoshoot. It's raining, I haven't left the office yet, and I've had some last-minute evening plans materialize, so we're all going to use our imaginations.) </i><br />
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Now that I've freed up the one circ I have that can be used to Magic Loop socks by finishing my <a href="http://ashpags.blogspot.com/2011/03/fo-alices-charade.html">Alice's Charade socks</a>, I can get right on to casting on the second Anastasia. After I finish my swap projects and all the knitting that I've promised to other people. Here's today's betting item: can I finish the second sock, and thus the entire pair, by September 2011?<br />
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I'm deciding not to beat myself up over not learning anything new in the past year. My research has done nothing but get more interesting and time-consuming, and is taking almost all of my brain power. So I'm churning out a lot of basic lace, easily-memorizable patterns, simple socks, etc. They may be simple, but they are nice, and the gifts (of which there have been many) are knit with love. That's what matters.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02775160073840380085noreply@blogger.com4